Under the second-tier regulations, does the Institutional Review Board require a minimum of two members?

Under the second-tier regulations, does the Institutional Review Board require a minimum of two members?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on the institution
• D. The regulation does not specify

Answer: (B)

The important idea here is how many members an Institutional Review Board must have to provide proper oversight. The regulations require the IRB to include enough members to bring diverse expertise and independent perspective, with a defined minimum. Specifically, the rule sets a floor of five voting members, and it also calls for diversity in backgrounds, including at least one member not affiliated with the institution and at least one member who is not a scientist. Because the minimum is five, a two-member IRB would not satisfy the regulatory requirement. Some may think it depends on the institution or that the regulation doesn’t specify a number, but the rule does specify a minimum—five.

The important idea here is how many members an Institutional Review Board must have to provide proper oversight. The regulations require the IRB to include enough members to bring diverse expertise and independent perspective, with a defined minimum. Specifically, the rule sets a floor of five voting members, and it also calls for diversity in backgrounds, including at least one member not affiliated with the institution and at least one member who is not a scientist. Because the minimum is five, a two-member IRB would not satisfy the regulatory requirement. Some may think it depends on the institution or that the regulation doesn’t specify a number, but the rule does specify a minimum—five.